Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Pickering Road, Snainton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9AF

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they enjoy coming to Snainton. They told inspectors that staff look after them well and that they feel safe here. Pupils are confident that they can share any worries with the trusted adults in school. They know that they will get the help that they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils respond to teachers’ high expectations well. However, a significant minority of pupils distract others through their actions. They intentionally disrupt other pupils’ learning. Bullying is not common, but it does happen. Leaders record any incidences of poor behaviour that are brought to their attention. They take prompt action. However, they have not addressed the unpredictable application of the school’s behaviour policy. Some pupils feel unable to report inappropriate behaviour, such as name-calling. They are unsure how adults will respond as this can be inconsistent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have invested in a new phonics programme. However, not all staff have been sufficiently well trained in this approach. The reading books which pupils read in school and at home do not match the sounds that they are learning. This means that many pupils lose confidence and enjoyment in reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and their families are proud to belong to this school community. There are a number of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and make a difference in school and in the community. Pupils relish participating in the young leaders programme. This allows them to work together to complete a number of purposeful initiatives. Recently, pupils created a community food exchange in response to a series of lessons on the cost of living. Initiatives such as using eco-friendly water bottles supported all pupils to receive a green ‘Blue Peter’ badge from the BBC. The school worked closely with the local community to create a bee corridor through the village. They researched the types of 19 July 2022

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flowers and planting biomes required. Pupils then planted wildflower seeds to create the environment they needed.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is a priority for improvement. Leaders have recently introduced a new approach for the teaching of early reading. Children learn to segment and blend sounds early in their reading journey. This is to support them in reading words. However, reading is not as well developed as it should be. This is because the teaching of early reading is inconsistent. Not all staff have enough expertise in how to teach phonics. Pupils’ reading books are not well matched to the sounds that they know. This means they struggle to practise their reading skills. Some of the books that pupils are given are too hard for them and hinder their fluency. Other books are too simple.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In mathematics and science, leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. Curriculum thinking is appropriately sequenced and builds on what pupils already know. Misconceptions are identified and the subject vocabulary that leaders want pupils to use is highlighted. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to access the same curriculum as their classmates. However, teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of all pupils. Many pupils, particularly older pupils, are capable of more. Some pupils become distracted as their learning does not offer sufficient challenge or interest. As such, leaders’ plans lack ambition.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have not ensured that there are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit important information over time. This means that pupils cannot easily retrieve important information from their long-term memory. Other pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This holds them back. There is not an effective assessment system in place. As a result, leaders do not have the information they need to check the effectiveness of their curriculum. They have not identified where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge and cannot use this to improve curriculum planning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Behaviour around the school is mostly calm and in lessons the majority of pupils behave well. However, there are a number of pupils who struggle to concentrate on their work. An inconsistent approach to dealing with this leads to off-task chatter and can progress to inappropriate behaviour. Inspectors observed instances of insolence towards staff. There were a number of occasions where pupils disrupted the learning of others.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to be responsible. Pupils enjoy the role of school councillor. They know how to eat healthily and understand the difference between right and wrong. A high proportion of pupils attend extra-curricular clubs, and pupils who experience disadvantage particularly benefit from these rich experiences. While pupils understand difference and diversity, they have a more limited understanding of the distinctiveness of different faiths and beliefs. For example, pupils were unable to talk about aspects of Buddhism with any confidence.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff have built positive relationships with children in the school’s nursery setting. They ask questions which develop children’s vocabulary. Leaders have started to set out how 19 July 2022

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learning in the early years connects with the learning from Year 1 onwards. They understand the importance of preparing pupils for year 1. Children in Nursery are supported well in their development and understanding of early mathematics. Leaders have engaged proactively with national organisations to develop teachers’ skills in teaching the mastery of number to the youngest children.

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Governors and the Diocese of York know the school well. Governors, in particular, understand the school’s strengths. They know what needs to improve. Leaders consider staff’s workload. Staff are positive about the support they receive from school leaders. They enjoy working at Snainton Primary School. The school has received support from the local authority.

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Parents’ responses to Ofsted Parent View are overwhelmingly positive. They comment warmly about the wider opportunities that the school offers as well as the energy and verve that leaders have brought to the wider school community. They appreciate the way leaders have preserved the school’s family ethos.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have appropriate systems in place to report and respond to safeguarding concerns. Staff attend regular training. All adults know pupils well and are alert to any changes in pupils’ mood or behaviour. Leaders give pupils and their families the help that they need promptly. This includes making referrals to outside services, such as social care, when this is necessary.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide pupils with information to keep themselves safe, such as how to avoid harm when using the internet. The school’s well-established processes ensure that all staff are fully checked and are suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans are not sufficiently ambitious. The use of assessment is underdeveloped. Pupils are not gaining a rich understanding and knowledge in all subjects. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum planning and assessment strategies are purposeful and well monitored, so that pupils access a high-quality curriculum that provides appropriate challenge.  The teaching of phonics is not effective for all pupils. Some staff do not have the knowledge they need to teach phonics with accuracy and precision. In addition, the books pupils are given do not match the sounds they know. Leaders must provide training for all staff delivering early reading. They should assure themselves that their reading programme is well matched to pupils’ needs, and that teaching is effective. This will allow pupils to learn to read fluently and with understanding. 19 July 2022

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 Teachers do not address negative behaviour consistently. As a result, a minority of pupils disrupt the learning of others. Leaders need to ensure that all staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. They must ensure that all pupils have confidence in the school’s systems to report the inappropriate behaviours of others.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 19 July 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The number of pupils joining the school part-way through their primary education is higher than usual.  There are two mixed-age classes in the school and the school’s Nursery class.  This school does not use alternative provision.  The school was judged to be good at its most recent inspection of denominational education and the content of the school’s collective worship under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place on 11 November 2021. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection. 19 July 2022

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the curriculum leader and other members of staff. The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. The inspectors spoke to representatives of the local authority and of the Diocese of York by telephone.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour both in lessons and at breaktimes and

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Information about this inspection

lunchtimes. They gathered pupils’ views from both formal and informal discussions.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspectors checked the school’s single central record, met with the school’s designated safeguarding leader, and reviewed safeguarding information.  The inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Marcus Newby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield Her Majesty’s Inspector 19 July 2022

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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